Mike Camby/US PresswireNets center Brook Lopez averaged 8.6 rebounds per game last season and 8.4 rebounds per game over his first two seasons with the Nets. His average this season is just 5.7 rebounds per game, and his career total is down to 7.8.

In the 11 games before the Nets hosted the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at the Prudential Center, Brook Lopez led the team in scoring 10 times and averaged 24.7 points per game.

Over the same span, Lopez grabbed an average of only 4.7 rebounds, though.

So the question was posed to Nets coach Avery Johnson: If Lopez is consistently scoring at around 25 points a night, and if the rest of the team’s offense is falling into place largely because of what he is doing in the low post, can you live with Lopez getting five rebounds a game?

“Five’s not good enough,” Johnson said. “We’re going to keep working our way towards 10.”

At one practice, when asked a question about Carmelo Anthony — whether he dreamed of getting the opportunity to coach Anthony with the Nets someday — Johnson replied, “I dream about our center getting 10 rebounds.”

The 7-foot, 265-pound Lopez averaged 8.6 rebounds per game last season and 8.4 rebounds per game over his first two seasons with the Nets.

But entering tonight’s game, his average this season is just 5.7 rebounds per game, and his career total is down to 7.8.

Through the first 49 games of the season, Lopez had two double-figure rebound games, and just one double-double — that coming in the triple-overtime loss to Oklahoma City on Dec. 1.

Last season, he had 34 double-digit rebound games and 33 double-doubles.

It can’t be complete coincidence that Lopez’s drop-off in rebounding numbers comes in Johnson’s first season as coach. Johnson has made changes to the team’s offense and defense, and Lopez’ role as a rebounder has been tweaked.

Often times, Lopez’s top priority when the opposing team shoots is to box his man out and make sure he does not get the ball.

Then, if Lopez sees a teammate — Kris Humphries or Derrick Favors or someone else — in position to get the rebound, he is free to head upcourt to set up on offense.

Johnson acknowledged Lopez has been good at boxing out, but said the third-year center should go after more balls that don’t come right to him.

“There are times when there are balls that if (Lopez) thinks it’s his rebound, only, he will pursue it a little bit more,” Johnson said. “There are times, also, where he’s doing a nice job of not letting his man get the rebound, but maybe somebody else — whether it’s (Travis) Outlaw, or Humphries or Favors — are coming in and get the rebound.

“But there are times where his pursuit (of rebounds) can be a little bit better. And he’s working to improve that.”

Still, with Humphries averaging 9.4 rebounds per game, and Favors averaging 5.0 rpg in his 19.1 minutes per game, the Nets are averaging 40.6 rebounds per game (up from 39.7 last season) and opponents are averaging 40.4 (down from 44.0 last season).

So, as a team, the Nets are doing better on the boards than last year, despite Lopez’s decreased numbers.

And Johnson admitted that he is happy with the team’s rebounding overall.

But he still wants more out of Lopez, he said.

“We want the rebounds,” Johnson said. “I think it says something about you. Okay, maybe it’s not going to be 12, but it shouldn’t be five.”